The European Parliament has given the green light to ban power cuts for the most vulnerable citizens

This Thursday in Brussels, the European Parliament (EP) approved reforms to the gas market, preventing imports from Russia and Belarus, as well as electricity, protecting consumers, especially the most vulnerable.

At a plenary meeting in the capital of Belgium, members of the European Parliament approved changes to the directive on the gas market in the European Union (EU) with 425 votes in favor, 64 against and 100 abstentions.

The reformulated directive seeks to secure access to gas, which has been disrupted by geopolitical tensions of the past two years, namely Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, while trying to stimulate decarbonization to combat climate change.

The European Parliament overwhelmingly agreed that it is necessary to support people who are closest to energy poverty, that is, very little or no access to energy to meet basic needs.

MEPs also approved a change in the wording of the regulation (447 votes in favor, 90 against and 54 abstentions) that will allow member states to limit gas imports from Russia and Belarus, introducing a joint procurement system to prevent competition between the 27 countries.

Regarding the electricity market, the European Parliament has approved changes to legislation to make it more stable, accessible and sustainable.

In this way, consumers in all EU countries will be able to access physical price contracts and receive specific information about the services they are entering into.

Contract terms can no longer be changed unilaterally by suppliers.

The vote also ensured that power cuts to vulnerable customers would be prohibited, including in the event of disputes between suppliers and consumers.